Namibia: Country/AngolaTackle Water and Power Issues

Oshakati — Agriculture, Water and Forestry Minister John Mutorwa and Angolan Minister of Water and Energy Joao da Silva Borges have held a three day consultative meeting on issues related to water and energy supplies in the Cunene and Cuvelai basins.

The meeting started off with a tour to the Calueque Dam and Ruacana Waterfall where the two ministers visited the hydro and power infrastructures.

In meeting lasting from Friday until Saturday morning, the two ministers, accompanied by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Isack Katali as well as Namibian and Angolan hydrologists and engineers, they discussed matters related to the water supply along the common border and reviewed the progress made on the Kunene Trans-boundary Water Supply Project.

Furthermore, progress in the replacement of the Mahenene (Calueque) - Oshakati Canal with a pipeline and plans to rehabilitate the Calueque Dam also formed part of the discussion.

Namibia and Angola share four basins that include the Kunene, Cuvelai, Zambezi and Kavango catchments areas and because of the shared basins, the two countries are interdependent on energy and water resources.

In his keynote address, the Mutorwa said that like any other countries in the SADC region, Namibia and Angolan water policies demanded a sustainable and prudent management of water utilisation with regard to the SADC revised protocol on shared resources.